Back-stop and receiver for target-shooting.



,611. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

W. I. ALSOP. BACK STOPAND RECEIVER FOR TARGET SHOOTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

WILLIAM T. ALSOP, OF OWVENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

BACK-STOP AND RECEIVER FOR TARGET-SHOOTING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM'T. ALSOP, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county ofDaviess and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Back-Sto s and Receivers for Target-Shooting, of whlch the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a projectilereceivers and back-stop for use ofsportsmen in tar et-shooting.

ft is well known that in flying-target or trap shooting a considerableamount of shot is wasted, and also unhit targets falling to the groundare broken and wasted. It is the purpose'of the present invention toreceive'and retain the shot which is ordinarily lost with materialeconomy and consequent decrease in expense in the use of projectiles fortrap or flying-target shooting. The improved receiver and back-stop willbe of such shade or color as to provide an effective background toassist the sportsman or marksman in his aim with respect to the target,especially in view of the fact that the targets as now commonly made aredark and usually black.

The improved'receiver and back-stop will be disposed at such distancefrom the position of the sportsman or marksman that the projectiles orshot will have about reached the limit of their drive and will strikethe receiver with comparatively little force, thus permitting the latterto be formed of a suitable fiexible material which will yield under theimpact of the shot without injury to the projectiles.

It is also proposed to have the receiver and back-stop so arranged thatit may be reduced to compact form and shielded from the weather when notin use, but always ready and in position to beplaced in practical shape.

The improved device is also of such slight structure that it may bereadily transported from one place to another, and while it is notintended to limit the receiver and back-stop to the use of any precisematerial or of any particular reducing structure it is preferred thatcanvas be employed and suspended from suitable winding-rollers heldwithin or under a protective guard or weather-shielding means.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a receiver andback-stop embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section therethrough.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed J n15 2,

Patented Jan. 15, 1907,

1906. Serial No. 324,480-

Similar numerals of reference areemployed to indicate correspondingparts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a suitable upright supporting-frame structure,having in the present instance roller means 2, held at the upperextremity thereof under and shielded by a guard 3. Any number of rollersmay be. employed. Secured to the roller means 2 are flexible sheets 4,preferably constructed of canvas and overlapped, as at 5, a sufficientdistance to prevent separation thereof under normal conditions,but'permitting the air to pass therethrough, especially when the wind isblowing, and thus obviate the provision of any positive obstruction tothe air, which would result in injury to the supporting-frame structureand a downfall or serious disarrangement of the device. By having theside edges of the sheets overlapping and forming means for the passageof air therethrough the supporting-frame structure can be made muchlighter. The sheets 4 are made long enough to extend downwardly to theground-surface and outwardly from the latter a certain distance, andnear their lower edges the sheets are provided with tying lines or cords6 on their rear sides for securement to suitable stakes 7, or in someinstances said lines orcords may be fastened to the frame structure. Thelower ends of the sheets 4 also have tying cords or lines 8, which arefastened to stakes 9, the tying lines or cords 6 and 8 being soarrangedthat a trough 10 is provided at the lower ends of the sheetswhen the latter are pulled down and secured. The sheets 4 by theiroverlapping arrangement form a practically continuous web, and in someinstances one sheet alone may be used, though, as before explained, anumber of sheets overlapped at the edges are referred. The sheets arealso disposed at a ownward and outward angle of inclination to permitthe projectiles or shot striking thereagainst to freely roll down intothe trough 10.

The receiver and back-stop Wlll be of such length as to cover themaximum radius of fire of the sportsman, or, in other words, it will belocated in such relation to the posithrowing the targets as to take inthe shot or receive the shot that may be projected in a number ofdirections.

The shot striking the receiver and backsto sheets and falling into thetrough is gat -ered and subjected to a separating operation similar tothat usually pursued in shot tion of the sportsman and the apparatus forfactories and whereby the perfectly spherical shot is caused to depositin one receptacle or place and the imperfect or flattened shot inanother receptacle or depository. The good shot may then be used forreloading shells, with a material saving in the cost of target shootingthat will be obvious.

The receiver or back-stop may be either straight or curved, as choicemay desire, and,

furthermore, the sheets or the webs are not necessarily confined to usewith rollers, the essential feature being the dis osition of the sheetsin such manner as to e 'ectively' direct the shot striking thereagainsttoward the lower portions of the sheets, where the trough is formed.

The proportions and dimensions of the receiver and back-stop may bevaried at will and the details of construction modified within the scopeof the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is "1. A receiverand back-stop of the class s ecified, having a supporting-frame and aexible sheet suspended from the upper portion and depending downwardlyover the frame and provided with a trough at its lower extremity toreceive shot or other projectiles striking the sheet and passingdownwardly over the latter, the portion of the sheet depending over theframe being clear to receive the shot or projectiles.

2. A receiver and back-sto of the class set forth, having asupportingame, flexible sheets depending from the said frame and.loosely overlapped at their edges to provide for passage of air betweenthe sheets without perforating the latter, the lower extremities of thesheets being formed as a trough.

3. A receiver and back-stop of the class set forth, having asupportin'g-frame, a flexible sheet suspended from the frame,andsecuring devices attached to the lower extremity of the sheeti'nreverse positions to form a trough at the lower extremity of said sheet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit nesses.

WILLIAM T. ALSOP.

